Article2011

A Re‐examination of Cremains Weight: Sex and Age Variation in a Northern California Sample*

Traci L. Van Deest · Turhon A. Murad · Eric J. Bartelink

32 citations0/0 files storedJournal of Forensic Sciences

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Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies Forensic and Genetic Research Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies

Abstract

The reduction of modern commercially cremated remains into a fine powder negates the use of traditional methods of skeletal analysis. The literature on the use of cremains weight for estimating aspects of the biologic profile is limited, often with conflicting results. This study re-evaluates the value of weight in the assessment of biologic parameters from modern cremated remains. A sample of adults was collected in northern California (n = 756), with a cremains weight averaging 2737.1 g. Males were significantly heavier than females (mean = 3233.2 g versus mean = 2238.3 g, respectively; p<0.001). Comparison of this sample with other previously reported samples from southern California, Florida, and Tennessee indicates a consistent sex difference, with the most similar mean values to the Tennessee study. Although cremains weight decreases with age as expected, the relationship is weak; thus, cremains weight cannot accurately predict age-at-death. While sex estimation shows considerable accuracy (86.3% for males and 80.9% for females), sectioning points may be population specific.

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References

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Cited by

2015Unpacking Personhood and Funerary Customs in the Hohokam Area of Southern Arizona 2013On the volume of cremated remains – a comparative study of archaeologically recovered cremated bone volume as measured manually and assessed by Computed Tomography and by Stereology 2016Cremation under fire: a review of bioarchaeological approaches from 1995 to 2015 2019Worldwide tendency and focused research in forensic anthropology: A bibliometric analysis of decade (2008–2017)2015

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